Top US commander says offering options on Afghan drawdown
WASHINGTON - The head of US forces in Afghanistan said on Thursday he has provided his chain of command with options for a troop drawdown in 2015 that would give US and Afghan leaders more flexibility to respond to security needs on the ground.
Army General John Campbell told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the options, which he supported, dealt with the "glide slope" and "locations" for withdrawals in the summer of 2015. The United States is currently slated to draw down to 5,500 troops by the end of the year.
The head of panel, Republican Senator John McCain, said that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told US lawmakers in Munich over the weekend that current US drawdown plans could endanger the Afghan nation.
